Recently Tesla received an order of 130 Semi electric trucks from Walmart Canada. Before this, Walmart had already placed an order for around 15 semi-trucks in 2017, when it was first unveiled. The company has significantly increased the number of orders, even without receiving a single Semi truck.
This massive order of electric trucks is aligned with Walmart’s global vision. In a recent announcement at Climate Week earlier this month, Walmart Canada said its goal is to target zero-emission by 2040.
Additionally, Walmart has declared a budget of $3.5 billion to achieve growth in company’s business along with following its goal of reducing carbon footprints.
Now before we move ahead let’s tell you a bit about Tesla Semi.
Back in 2017, Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Semi electric truck. As per the official website of Tesla, Semi will be available in two configurations. Customers will have the option to choose between a 300-mile and 500-mile range.
According to sources, Walmart Canada has ordered a top-end Semi with 500 miles of range. The reservation price of Tesla Semi is $20,000, which means Walmart has already paid $2,600,000 ($2.6 million). Tesla says the base price of a 500 mile Tesla Semi would be around $180,000. According to this price, the net worth of this order would be over $23 million.
This is one of the largest orders of Tesla Semi placed by any company so far.
Anyway, if we talk more about Tesla Semi, then its key highlights include the following:
Tesla Semi can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 20 seconds while carrying 80,000 lbs weight.
The powertrain includes 4 independent motors on the rear axles.
Similar to the electric cars of Tesla, Semi will be incorporated with its advanced Autopilot system.
Tesla Semi consumes less than 2 kWh energy per mile.
Apart from this, what’s more awaited is the date when Tesla Semi will hit the roads. Initially, the electric truck was supposed to go into production in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the timelines got pushed. Now it seems the Semi is more likely to enter the market somewhere in 2021.
Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer (Windows + Devices), Panos Panay, announced in a blog post that 64-bit (x64) app support would come to Windows 10 on ARM in November under the Windows Insider Program.
“We are excited about the momentum we are seeing from app partners embracing Windows 10 on ARM, taking advantage of the power and performance benefits of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors,” Panos said.
“We will also expand support for running x64 apps, with x64 emulation starting to roll out to the Windows Insider Program in November.”
Windows 10 on ARM currently supports native ARM64 apps, but it’s only limited to 32-bit x86 app support enabled via an emulator. The upcoming support for apps leveraging the x64 architecture will also be enabled via an emulator.
However, past reports have suggested that Microsoft has had a hard time pushing the 64-bit app’s performance to satisfactory levels.
The news about an x64 emulator in the making has been floating since last year, and more evidence was spotted earlier in May. So, in a way, the emulator doesn’t come as a surprise.
Here, the lack of x64 app support puts Windows 10 ARM at a big disadvantage as many resource-hungry Windows 10 apps now only come in a 64-bit version such as Adobe Premiere Pro and other Creative Cloud apps, to name a few.
Windows 10 on ARM is an operating system optimized to work with ARM-powered processors. As of now, Microsoft is in a partnership with Qualcomm, which markets ARM-based chips under the Snapdragon brand name. In other words, the 64-bit app support will arrive for Snapdragon PCs.
In addition to this, Redmond is also launching a version of Microsoft Teams optimized for Windows 10 ARM. In an attempt to boost app compatibility, it has already announced the App Assure program for Snapdragon PCs.
D-Wave has launched Advantage, a quantum computing platform, for users of its cloud service, Leap. With Advantage, users will now be able to run 5K-qubit computations and optimize their business.
In quantum computing, information is stored in the form of qubit or quantum bit. Qubits are more powerful than the bits used in classical computers. This is because, while bits can either store zero or one at a time, qubits can hold both the values simultaneously.
Advantage Offers Enhanced Power And Connectivity
D-Wave promises at least 5K-qubit computing power or more on the various Advantage systems, accessible via Leap. This is an upgrade from their previous quantum computer, 2000Q, which only operates on up to 2K-qubits of quantum information.
Advantage comes with D-Wave’s latest Pegasus topology which can string together up to 15 qubits. This is more than double the connectivity offered by the older Chimera topology. CEO Alan Baratz claims that the new topology will enable businesses to natively solve problems in 600-800-variable range.
According to Baratz, the new platform is “the first quantum computer designed and developed from the ground up to support business applications.”
D-Wave’s Solution To More Complex Problems
Besides Advantage, the Canadian firm introduced the Discrete Quadratic Model (DQM) solver service which will be available via Leap from October 8. DQM uses multiple variable sets instead of only binary variables and thus enhances Advantage’s areas of application.
DQM will also enable Advantage to process problems having 1 million variables. The previous solver service could only deal with 10K variable-problems.
Baratz further stated that the new solver technology will help businesses solve “production-scale commercial applications”. He compared the Advantage with the 2000Q and highlighted how 2000Q’s successor can solve the same optimization problems but at a bigger scale and higher complexity.
D-Wave also debuted ‘Launch’ today — a program where the company’s experts assist businesses with their quantum computing needs.
With the announcement of the Tesla Model S Plaid variant on Tesla Battery Day, Elon Musk once again made his fans super excited. The specifications of this new variant of the Model S are so impressive that EV enthusiasts have started comparing it with the company’s electric sports car Tesla Roadster.
Today we will give an overview of both the electric cars and their specifications, and in the end, we’ll discuss which one is a better deal.
Since both the Model S Plaid variant and Roadster are not available on the market, we’ll be comparing both cars based on their on-paper specifications.
Before we start, here’s a quick overview of both these electric vehicles.
Tesla Model S, Image: Tesla
Tesla Model S is the flagship electric sedan from the US EV maker. Currently, the performance and long-range variants of Tesla Model S are available in the market. Recently, the automaker has unveiled its latest variant, Model S Plaid, with some big improvements. The Model S Plaid variant would hit the market in late 2021; however, customers can book it online through its website.
On the other hand, we have the one and only Tesla’s Sports electric car Roadster. Similar to Model S Plaid, people can book Roadster online from the company’s official website. An interesting fact about the EV is that Elon Musk sent one cherry Roadster unit into space back in 2017.
Tesla RoadsterImage: Tesla
Most of you guys already know that in terms of specifications, Tesla Roadster is quite ahead of Model S Plaid. Still, there is a significant margin between the price of these cars that can change the overall preference of an individual.
Acceleration
According to Tesla, Roadster can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds. For the Model S Plaid, Tesla claims it can do 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.0 seconds, which means it could be somewhere between 1.9 and 2.0 seconds.
While less than 2.0 could also mean anything below 1.9 seconds, it’s very unlikely. Since the exact acceleration value for Model S Plaid will be less than 2.0 seconds, we can say it’s pretty close competition.
Electric Range
The current Tesla Model S has a maximum electric range of 402 miles. However, the upcoming Plaid variant will have an EPA range of 520+ miles.
On the other hand, Tesla Roadster will have an electric range of 620 miles, almost 100 miles more than the Model S Plaid.
Top Speed
Officially, Tesla Model S Plaid will have a top speed of 200 mph, whereas Roadster will be able to achieve a speed of up to 250 mph.
Price
The EV maker has priced the Model S Plaid at $139,900. Meanwhile, Tesla Roadster has a price tag of $200,000 and $250,000 for its Founder Series.
So Which One Is A Better Deal?
Image: Tesla
Though Tesla Roadster leads its sibling Model S Plaid in all parameters, it’s far too expensive at the same time. On paper, Roadster is clearly a winner, but it’s $60,000 expensive than the Model S Plaid. One could buy Tesla Model 3 or Model Y within this margin.
Also, there are a few things that one might not be aware of.
The Model S Plaid will be available to customers by the end of 2021. However, when we talk about Roadster, there is still no confirmation from the automaker about its final release date. Based on our research, we expect Tesla Roadster to hit the roads in either 2023 or early 2024.
By then, the Model S Plaid will surely have better specifications then now. Furthermore, looking at the past record of Tesla, it’s also possible that the electric car might get more affordable.
Is It Worth Waiting For Tesla Roadster?
If we consider the price and availability of both the cars, then for many people, an electric range of 520+, a top speed of 200 mph would be sufficient. On top of that, the Model S Plaid is as quick as Roadster. In that scenario, it would be a better choice for people to buy Model S Plaid. In addition, the Model S Plaid is the best choice for people looking for an electric sedan instead of a sports car.
However, Tesla Roadster is sportier and muscular than the Model S. It has room for four passengers, which is not common in sports cars. If someone is more into a sports car and has a good budget, then Roadster is one of the best options. Nevertheless, they’ll have to wait for few years to grab their hands on this fantastic electric sports car.
Anyway, it mainly depends on an individual’s requirements that lead to a final decision.
Do share your views on the same in the comments section below.
After weeks of leaks and rumors, Google has finally announced the Pixel 5 at its Launch Night In event. Alongside, it has also launched a 5G variant of the Google Pixel 4a.
Google Pixel 5
The new Google Pixel 5 comes with a 6-inch FHD+ OLED display with support for HDR 10+ and 90Hz refresh rate, and a punch-hole camera cutout in the top left corner. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 6.
As expected based on the leaks, Google is not going with a flagship chipset; the device is powered by the Snapdragon 765G. On the bright side, the Pixel 5 comes with a whooping 4,080mAh. Users can expect good battery life on the Pixel 5, thanks to a combination of Google’s on-device machine learning and the lower end chipset. The smartphone supports 18W charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Now let’s talk about cameras — the square-shaped module holds a dual-camera setup. The primary one is a 16MP ultrawide lens, while the other one is a 12.2MP lens. The configuration is different from the Pixel 4, which had a 16MP telephoto lens instead of the new ultrawide lens. On the front, it’s still the same 8MP shooter.
Again, it’s a single variant; however, Google has decided to go up with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage space. There are two colors this time — Just Black and Subtle Sage Green. The Google Pixel 5 is priced at $699, and it will start selling on October 15.
Google Pixel 4a 5G
Google’s Pixel 4a has got a solid upgrade in the form of the new Pixel 4a 5G. First of all, the device has the same SoC as the Pixel 5 i.e., Snapdragon 765G.
The 5G variant of Google’s Pixel 4a will also come with a larger 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED display. The best part about the Google Pixel 4a 5G is that it offers the same camera module as the Pixel 5, i.e., a 16MP ultrawide and a 12.2 MP camera.
The device comes with a 3,885 mAh battery, a small jump from the standard variant. Apart from that, everything else is the same — plastic body, fingerprint sensor on the back, 6GB RAM along with 128GB storage space, and, best of all, a headphone jack.
The Google Pixel 4a 5G is priced at $499. The phone goes on sale in Japan starting October 15 and will roll out to eight other countries in November.
Furthermore, both devices come with Android 11 out of the box.
Buying the new Google Pixel 5 or Pixel 4a 5G will get you three months of Stadia Pro, as well as a YouTube Premium subscription. Apart from that, you will also get free 100GB Google One storage, Google Play Pass, and Google Play points.
Google has finally unveiled its next-gen streaming device called Google Chromecast with Google TV, also known by its rumored codename Sabrina. The new device was launched at the company’s annual hardware event titled Launch Night In.
Much like it’s happening in recent years, almost all the device details have leaked already. In fact, new Chromecast devices reportedly went on sale at some Walmart and Home Depot stores. Some users grabbed the opportunity, purchased the Chromecast device, and posted the discovered specs on Reddit.
Chromecast 2020: What’s Inside?
Anyway, let’s talk about what specs the new Chromecast with Google TV has to offer. First of all, the mile-long name is because the streaming device runs an updated version of Android TV known as Google TV.
It’s worth noting that Chromecast now provides an experience closer to what you get on Amazon Fire TV and other streaming devices. It’s not bad, but it takes away the simplicity that Chromecast devices have always provided.
What’s more interesting and also confusing is that Google TV existed in the past and was replaced by Android TV – a version of Android OS designed to run on media devices. Now, the company is turning to history again and has renamed Android TV to Google TV.
The new Chromecast can run titles at 4K60fps and supports modern audio and video formats such as Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, etc. to enhance the viewing experience.
The streaming device comes with support for dual-band WiFi-AC, Bluetooth, and USB-C in the connectivity department. Just like always, it connects to the TV directly using the HDMI interface.
Furthermore, the 2020 Chromecast comes with a remote control that uses 2 AAA batteries to power itself. It comes with Bluetooth support and an IR sensor to control the TV, soundbar, etc.
The remote also comes with Google Assistant integration and has dedicated buttons for Netflix and YouTube. It is available in three color options, including Snow, Sky, and Sunrise.
The next-gen Chromecast device is available with a price tag of $49.99 in the US. It’ll arrive in other countries by the end of the year.
In addition to this, Google has also unveiled a bunch of other hardware at the event, including Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and new Nest Speakers. The search giant already launched the Pixel 4a last month, which is now its only budget smartphone after replacing the Pixel 3a.
Switching from your ISP’s offering to a custom DNS server can be beneficial. As many have experienced, these public DNS servers from the house of Google, Cisco, and others offer much better performance in terms of latency and features.
DNS servers have come a long way, and now they offer a lot more than throwing out the name of a website after it gets an IP address from a client device. Modern DNS servers provide advanced security features that protect your queries while they’re in transit. You can read more about what a DNS server is and how it works.
In addition, switching to a third-party DNS server can have other advantages as well. For instance, you can browse websites that are sometimes blocked by your ISP at the DNS level.
So, if you’re looking for some good custom DNS servers, here we have compiled a list of the most popular and reliable public DNS servers in the market.
The name of this public DNS server resembles its IP address, i.e., 9.9.9.9. The free DNS service was co-developed by the Global Cyber Alliance, IBM, and Packet Clearing House. It’s aimed at blocking malicious websites to prevent phishing attacks, etc. on the web.
To accomplish this security aspect, Quad9 collects updated data from various providers and public sources, which is then fed into its system. The public DNS service claims that it doesn’t store any personal data of the users. Quad9 supports the DNSCrypt protocol, which, as the name says, encrypts the connection between the client device and the DNS server to prevent MITM attacks.
In addition to a primary DNS server that enables domain blocklist and DNSSEC validation, Quad9 also offers an unsecured DNS server address that can be used to know if the Quad9 threat feed has flagged a legit domain as insecure.
Quad9 provides public DNS servers that work with IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Furthermore, just like Google DNS, it offers support for DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) security features.
Arguably, Google Public DNS is the most popular custom DNS service you can find these days. It manages to justify its popularity by offering some advanced features for the users. However, Google’s known habit of tracking almost everything might divert some users to other alternatives.
The service was launched in 2009 and has since been updated to match industry-standards. As of now, Google DNS servers handle more than a trillion DNS queries from devices in a single day.
Google Public DNS comes with support for security features like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), both of which are used on various platforms to secure queries made by users.
It also works with the next-gen IPv6 protocol, which is the successor to the IPv4. Google Public DNS can give the much-needed latency boost that your ISP struggles with, thereby improving the website loading speed. Oh, and as a side note, you shouldn’t confuse it with increasing internet speed.
You may have heard about the content delivery network (CDN) Cloudflare. In 2018, Cloudflare launched its free DNS service called 1.1.1.1 that provides one-tap access to users.
1.1.1.1 is one of the fastest DNS servers on the internet when it comes to latency, an essential factor to consider in domain name resolution. It supports DoH, DoT, and DNSSEC.
Right now, the 1.1.1.1 app is available for Android and iOS devices, but Cloudflare is also working on Windows 10 and macOS versions of its DNS apps. However, just like other popular DNS services on this list, you can configure Cloudflare DNS directly in the system settings using its IP address.
The public DNS resolver has a different version called 1.1.1.1 For Families that, among various features, comes with built-in parental control features to block adult content.
OpenDNS is another known name when talking about the best DNS servers for 2020. It was founded back in 2005 and acquired by Cisco in 2015.
The free DNS service is a great option for home and personal use as it provides various security features to prevent phishing attacks and content filtering. OpenDNS supports both IPv4 and IPV6 addresses and comes with support for DoH but not DoT. It also offers support for the DNSCrypt protocol, and in fact, OpenDNS was the first service to adopt it.
OpenDNS handles more than 140 billion DNS requests per day and has over 90 million users worldwide. The free DNS service started as an ad-supported offering, which was dropped in later years.
It has 30+ fast DNS servers located on different continents to provide seamless and faster DNS resolution in various parts of the world.
The public DNS resolver focuses on providing filters that enable parental controls and block adult content. In other words, it’s primarily designed with keeping kids in mind. CleanBrowsing is a relatively small-sized service compared to Quad9 or Cloudflare, which explains the focused approach it has.
In terms of features, the free version of the DNS service supports all popular security features, including DNSCrypt, DoH, DoT, and DNSCrypt. The DNS resolver offers separate IP addresses for families, adults, and security filters for free.
However, it mainly offers paid plans for a more dedicated DNS service, which is also its primary business model. The Basic plan starts at $59.99/year and offers 19 custom filters and blocks, active monitoring, etc.
CleanBrowsing provides a dedicated app for Windows and macOS computers that enables DNS filters in a single click. However, it’s surprising that CleanBrowsing doesn’t have an Android app that is more required.
CleanBrowsing Family
DNS Server Address
IPv4
185.228.168.168, 185.228.169.168
IPv6
2a0d:2a00:1::, 2a0d:2a00:2::
CleanBrowsing Adult
DNS Server Address
IPv4
185.228.168.10, 185.228.169.11
IPv6
2a0d:2a00:1::1, 2a0d:2a00:2::1
CleanBrowsing Security
DNS Server Address
IPv4
185.228.168.9, 185.228.169.9
IPv6
2a0d:2a00:1::2, 2a0d:2a00:2::2
How to use a custom DNS server on your PC?
You have an idea of the top-rated DNS services of 2020. Now, configuring a custom DNS server on your computer is a simple task that you can do in a few clicks. You can refer to our detailed guide on how to setup DNS server on your Windows 10 PC.
Why should you use a Pubic DNS Server?
There could be multiple reasons that might motivate you to resort to a custom or public DNS resolver for your device. Here, we have summed up a couple of points that I think could be important reasons to consider:
Better performance over your ISP’s offering in most cases.
Unblock websites and bypass censorship.
Use DNS filtering to block offensive content.
Protect your device from malicious sites and unwanted ads.
Use public DNS as an alternative when your ISP’s server goes down.
How to find the fastest DNS server?
Almost every service mentioned on this list offers fast DNS servers to the users. However, there are various factors responsible for the so-called speed of a DNS resolver. However, one major factor is the distance at which a DNS server is located from your home or office.
A DNS server located 1000 miles away will be slower compared to the one at 500 miles, provided everything else remains the same. Hence, one of the ways is you can compare the latency or response time of different DNS servers. The one that provides lower latency numbers should be your choice.
So, this is all we know about public DNS servers and what they can do? This could be helpful if you’re looking for a free DNS server even for casual use, let alone using it as your daily driver. If you have something to add, drop your thoughts in the comments down below.
Following months of speculations, the OnePlus 8T Pro has been officially canceled for this year. The 8T Pro was expected to debut alongside OnePlus 8T, but it seems that it is no longer the case now.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, under the name “Liu Zuohu”, made the public announcement on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. He noted that plans for an 8T Pro were snubbed as there was “no room for upgrade” after the OnePlus 8 Pro. He also hailed OnePlus 8 Pro as “the annual machine king”.
Looking back at the specifications of the 8 Pro, it’s hard to argue with the Chinese smartphone giant’s confidence in the device. OnePlus 8 Pro, which launched in April, boasts a range of premium features including 120 Hz Fluid AMOLED display, Snapdragon 865, and wireless charging.
On the other hand, OnePlus 8T, which is set to release on October 14, is expected to arrive with flagship features such as 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display, Snapdragon 865+ SoC, 65W fast-charging, etc.
Apart from the 8T, OnePlus is also expected to announce new additions to its Nord lineup of mid-range smartphones during the event. OnePlus Nord’s cryptic Instagram post with the caption “#ComingSoon” is a major hint towards the rumored OnePlus Nord N10 5G.
Although OnePlus 8T Pro has been canceled for this year, OnePlus fans still have a lot to look forward to. However, those of you who were waiting for the 8T Pro should instead go for the 8 Pro now, which is the most premium offering from the smartphone titan in 2020.
Disney+ GroupWatch is a feature that lets people stream and co-watch movies and TV shows with friends from different locations. The feature first arrived as a test version in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; it has now launched in the US.
Disney+ GroupWatch feature will appear on the “Details Page” of a movie or TV show. All you have to do is select “GroupWatch” for a title and send out invites. You can invite up to 6 people to share the stream, provided they all have Disney+ subscription. The invite needs to be sent out from mobile or web but can be viewed on connected TV devices too.
While using GroupWatch, the playback is synchronized, and any of the participants can play or pause the stream for everyone. They can also share emojis on the screen during the streaming. However, no chat window option is available for participants to talk during the stream.
GroupWatch Alternatives On Other Apps
Other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix also support similar features either directly or via extensions. Amazon Prime Video’s “Watch Party” feature in the US lets up to 100 subscribers to join a stream.
Coming to Netflix, it is yet to launch a co-watching feature officially. Still, there are several Chrome extensions available that let users synchronize a Netflix stream.
COVID-19 has made the cinema experience a health hazard. So the safest way to watch a movie or stream a TV show with your friends is through co-watching or watch party feature. It lets you interact with others from the safety and comfort of your home. While Disney is joining other apps to watch movies with your friends, there are some things that could be improved.
Disney+ GroupWatch has the versatility to be used from any device. However, the group limit of 6 people is in massive contrast with that of Prime Video’s 100 participants limit. There’s also no chat window option, which makes sense seeing the smart TV participants might have a hard time with the screen division, but its nice to have more options.
As per schedule, the Fedora team has finally launched Fedora 33 Beta, a pre-stable release available to download and test all new features and updates.
A stable version of this Red Hat-sponsored community Linux distribution is scheduled for the end of October 2020. Until then, let’s see what’s coming in the upcoming Fedora 33.
Fedora 33 Beta: What’s New?
The beta version of Fedora 33 contains a lot of important changes that will finally land in the final version as well.
For instance, the transition to Btrfs filesystem for Fedora Workstations and Spins across x86_64 and ARM architectures, a more approachable GNU Nano editor as default, and enabling earlyOOM by default to improve system responsiveness while running out of memory.
Previously Fedora 32 introduced a new edition, Comp-NeuroFedora lab to enable computational neuroscience.
Likewise, the latest Fedora 33 has also added a new edition, Fedora IoT, as an official Fedora edition for those looking for a lightweight yet powerful and scalable core OS for the Internet of Things project.
Here are the highlights of the key features of Fedora 33 Beta:
Switch from Ext4 to Btrfs file system by default
GNOME 3.38 desktop environment
Fedora IoT as an official edition
Nano as default terminal text editor
earlyOOM by default in Fedora 33 KDE Beta
Better thermal management and peak performance on Intel CPUs
Animated background by default
Removal of Python 2.6 and Python 3.4
Updated versions of popular packages like Ruby, Python, and Perl
If you want complete details of all features, we have already written a separate article, which you can find here.
Now, to download the ISO image, head over to the official page, where images of all editions and variants are available. For torrent downloads, there is a separate page too.
A Xiaomi chat desk recently said the company plans to finish the MIUI 12 roll-out to supported devices by the end of October. It appears the Chinese tech giant is serious about it.
Xiaomi is now rolling out MIUI 12 Global Stable updates to Redmi Y2/ Redmi S2 devices. Reportedly, the update is being released partially to random users. In other words, you’d have to be extremely lucky to get the MIUI 12 update.
Redmi Y2 MIUI 12 (V12.0.2.0.PEFMIXM)
(Recovery ROM download link not yet available)
Redmi Y2 is one of the most popular budget devices from Xiaomi. Launched in 2018, the device comes with a Snapdragon 625 SoC, a 5.99-inch LCD, a dual 12MP + 5MP camera setup on the back, and a 16MP selfie camera. Currently, the device sells at Rs 6,299 for the 32GB + 3GB RAM variant and Rs 7,999 for the 64GB + 4GB RAM variant.
Since the MIUI 12 global launch in May, several Xiaomi and Redmi devices have received the MIUI 12 update. However, several in the budget segment and older Xiaomi devices are still waiting for the good news. Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 5, Redmi Note 5 Pro, to name a few.
While Xiaomi focuses on finishing the MIUI 12 roll-out to eligible devices, its development team has already started working on the iteration, i.e., MIUI 13. The company has also been testing MIUI 12 based Android 11 on several of its high-end devices.
Call of Duty Mobile is close to completing its successful first year. Activision launched the game last year on October 1; since then, it has garnered millions of players worldwide because of its fantastic content.
Interestingly, COD Mobile has promised it’ll outshine the previous content through its upcoming first-anniversary update, which is expected to release somewhere around October 1st. However, as of now, there isn’t any official release date for the first-anniversary update.
Call Of Duty: Mobile First Anniversary Release Date
As we already know, Call of Duty Mobile was released on October 1st, 2019. So, everyone is expecting the first-anniversary update to release on October 1st, 2020.
However, there are still 15 days left for Season 11 to end. And Call of Duty Mobile confirmed that the first-anniversary update would coincide with Halloween and the Season 11 update. So, it is possible that Activision will release all the planned content between October 1-15.
Also, there are some rumors that Call of Duty Mobile will give us a glimpse of the Halloween content on October 3rd, which is quite exciting.
Check back this Saturday on October 3rd 🗓 for a glimpse at some Halloween content coming this year.
Nevertheless, despite all the leaks and rumors, it’s hard to be sure about anything regarding Call of Duty: Mobile’s first anniversary and the season 11 update. That’s because COD Mobile didn’t release a test server for Season 11 to keep everything a secret. So, it’s quite possible that the developers will launch the first-anniversary update straight away without announcing the official release date.
Talking about leaks, it is being speculated that players might see the much-awaited ‘Night Mode‘ in Season 11. Also, it is expected that Zombie Mode will make a comeback to celebrate the first anniversary of the game.
Google has announced it will keep Google Meet free for all Gmail users till March 31, 2021. This means that users can continue to have unlimited video calls on Meet for the next six months.
As per the announcement in April, Google planned to put a 60-minute time limit on Meet calls for free Gmail account users after Sep 31, 2020. But in the view of the ongoing pandemic that requires people to operate remotely, Google has postponed its plans for now.
Samil Pradhan, Google Meet’s Group Product Manager, broke this news in an official blog post. In his own words, Meet’s free period was extended to “continue helping those who rely on Meet to stay in touch over the coming months”.
Pradhan also revealed that some new features, such as casting calls to TV, background blur, and digital whiteboard, will soon make its way to Google’s video communication service.
When Google Meet went free earlier this year, services like GSuite and GSuite for Education also followed suit. The other two Google services were also scheduled to end free support on Sep 30, 2019, but the company did not mention anything explicitly regarding this in the latest announcement.
So, it is likely that only Meet will get an extended free period whereas GSuite and GSuite for Education will restrict free access to its advanced features. This includes support for up to 250 participants in a video call, saving conference videos to Google Drive, and live streaming to over 100K viewers.
Continued unlimited access to Google Meet is definitely a big boost to the offices and schools that are currently relying on the platform to operate remotely during the pandemic. The extension of free Meet services would surely help the tech giant win more fans out there.
Tech giant Facebook has started testing a new Accounts Center feature for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. It is designed to streamline cross-platform activity between your Instagram and Facebook accounts. Accounts Center has started rolling out to the users and it’ll be available in the settings menu on Facebook’s apps.
It’s an optional feature, and you can use it to manage your Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger accounts. The Accounts Center also introduces a single sign-on option, which means you can quickly recover your account if you’re locked out.
Talking about the controls, you can toggle settings to automatically share your Facebook stories to Instagram or your Instagram posts to your Facebook wall. It also lets you sync your name and profile picture between accounts. You can also maintain different profile pictures & usernames for Facebook and Instagram and still use its other features.
Facebook Pay on Accounts Center
Facebook Pay is a payment method that works across the company’s apps. You can use Facebook Pay to make purchases and donations on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. In the US, users can add their PayPal accounts or credit/debit card details to Facebook Pay.
The company is integrating this into the Facebook Accounts Center too. It means the accounts center will save your payment details and make it available across Facebook’s social networking apps. The feature will be added to the Accounts Center later this year.
Simply put, Facebook is trying to put its cross-platform integration to good use by linking Facebook and Instagram accounts as much as possible. Facebook Accounts Center lets you sync your Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. If you’re an active user, it saves you the hassle of setting preferences for every single post.
Microsoft took to its blog and discussed an upcoming Microsoft Edge feature called Web Capture. It’s a tool meant to snip out parts of web pages and save them as an image on your PC.
We have already seen a glimpse of the new screenshot tool, but now Microsoft has made it official. As of now, Microsoft is just rolling out basic screen capture functionality to Dev and Canary channel insiders, but the company has a lot more in store for the future.
Future updates to the Web Capture tool will allow you to mark-up full web pages with scrolling. Also, you’ll able to capture full web pages and add ink or highlight content.
You can access the Web Capture tool by clicking on the three-dot menu button > Web Capture. Alternatively, you can also press the Ctrl+Shift+S keyboard shortcut to open the Microsoft Edge screenshot tool.
Once you capture the screenshot, it will show you options to Copy or Preview the screenshot, so you can do a retake if it isn’t the way you desire.
The Web Capture tool has also got support for the helpful scrolling screenshot feature. While capturing part of the screen, you can simply drag the mouse cursor to the point where you need to capture the screen. In one way, you can take a full-page screenshot by capturing the webpage from corner to corner.
After clicking Preview, you’ll find the options to save the file locally or share it with your friends using the Windows Share Sheet.
Here, you can also right-click on the Web Capture option, then click on Show in Toolbar, and the tool’s icon will start appearing at the top alongside other extensions for easier access.
It would take some time before Web Capture arrives on the stable Edge Chromium builds. Till then, you can check out other amazing screenshot tools for Windows 10.
HMD Global, the company behind Nokia, finally has some good news for users waiting for the latest Android 11 update.
In an official tweet (now redacted), Nokia shared an official roll-out schedule as well as a list of Android 11 supported Nokia devices. It appears HMD Global will begin the Android 11 roll-out with Nokia 8.3 5G, in Q4 of this year.
Nokia Android 11 Roll-out Schedule —
October, November, and December (Q4 2020)
Nokia 8.3
Nokia 5.3
Nokia 2.2
January, February, and March (Q1-Q2 2021)
Nokia 4.2
Nokia 3.4
Nokia 2.4
Nokia 2.3
Nokia 1.3
Nokia 7.2
Nokia 6.2
Nokia 3.2
April, May, and June (Q2 2021)
Nokia 1 Plus
Nokia 9 Pureview
Nokia Android phones come with Android One. Introduced in 2014 by Google, the OS provides stock Android experience at an affordable price. Google originally planned to deliver faster Android updates and security updates with Android One, but it’s clear that is not happening, especially with OnePlus and Xiaomi in the queue.
Interestingly, Nokia has removed the Android 11 roll-out schedule tweet, which could mean that this is not the final list. In addition to this, a handful of devices such as the Nokia 7.1, Nokia 6.1, Nokia 8 Sirocco are missing from the list.
Nevertheless, we will update this article as soon as Nokia re-uploads the list of Android 11 supported Nokia devices.
The two fierce search engine rivals are at it again. After Google released Q4 2020 results for Android Choice Screen Options for Europe, DuckDuckGo has called out the search engine behemoth for unfairly removing it from the Choice Screen Options Menu. DuckDuckGo has even knocked on the European Commission’s (EC) door to take action against Google.
In 2019, the Choice Screen Options Menu, which lets users select their default search engine during initial setup, was introduced by Google for all Android phones and tablets sold in the European Economic Area (EEA). This new feature was added in response to EC’s antitrust ruling the previous year.
The Choice Screen Options Menu was packaged as a way to ensure search engines other than Google have a fair chance to compete for market share. However, as per DuckDuckGo, the bidding process to seize a spot on Android’s Choice Screen Options Menu acts against what the EC set out to do originally.
Problem with the current arrangement
According to DuckDuckGo, the bidding process Google employs to sell search engine spots is “fundamentally flawed.” Its main grievance against the auction model is Google’s competitors losing a large chunk of their profit in the bid. This, instead of promoting competition, financially drains smaller search engines and ultimately favors Google.
DuckDuckGo also explained how the repercussions of a hefty bid are felt gravely by search engine companies. The companies, who land successful bids, often try to recoup the heavy investment by putting more ads on their site. This method gradually drives consumers away and further jeopardizes the companies’ financial position.
Reaction to Q4 2020 results
The Pennsylvania-based firm connected the auction result to its commitment towards user experience. As per DuckDuckGo, it chose not to post a bid it could not recover from without showing more ads. In short, the company pointed out consumer experience as its highest priority.
Now that DuckDuckGo has presented EC with the negatives of Google’s auction system, it will be interesting to see how the commission responds to it.
Who do you think will come out victorious from the EC’s decision? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Recently, one of our colleagues, Yetnesh Dubey, reviewed the BS6 variant of Tata Tiago Petrol. He owns a Maruti Suzuki Ignis; however, he couldn’t stop praising the new Tata Tiago BS6 variant. Yetnesh also runs a YouTube channel where he has uploaded the video of the Tata Tiago BS6 review.
He started the review by giving a walkaround of the car and then shared his experience while driving the hatchback. Before we move ahead, let’s give you a brief overview of the vehicle.
Tiago is an entry-level car from Tata Motors with prices starting at Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-showroom). The hatchback is famous for its excellent build quality. Tiago is the only car in its segment that holds a four-star safety rating in the global NCAP crash test.
Coming back to the review, our teammate has precisely explained everything about the car in 5 simple points. He also explained why, despite being highly impressed by Tata Tiago, he chose to buy Ignis for himself.
People often praise the hatchback for its suspension system, and our mate also finds it praiseworthy. The car comfortably glides over all kinds of rough surfaces irrespective of its speeds.
He said the suspension of the car is plush and contributes to a better riding experience. Overall, the hatchback is very comfortable.
Best In Segment Steering
Our teammate told us that the steering of Tiago is best in its segment. He has already driven Hyundai i10 Nios and owns Maruti Ignis, so he has gained experience on the subject. In his opinion, he said if you combine the good abilities of both Maruti and Hyundai, then it will become a Tata Tiago steering.
The ideal steering should stay smooth at lower speeds and must be optimally stiff at higher speeds.
He further added that the steering of Hyundai is very light, which is suitable for quick maneuvering at low speeds. However, the steering remains soft and sensitive even when the car moves at higher speeds; this gives low driving confidence to the driver.
On the other hand, the steering of Maruti is light yet relatively tighter than Hyundai’s at low speeds and gets stiffer as you increase the speed. However, the steering of Tiago is smooth at low speeds and becomes optimally stiffer at a higher speed.
Tata Tiago BS6 Engine Gets Refined
A 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine powers Tiago. Yetnesh said one of the primary reasons for choosing Ignis over Tiago was the availability of a four-cylinder engine in Ignis. Generally, a four-cylinder engine is more balanced and refined compared to a three-cylinder.
However, the new Tiago comes with a counter-balancing shaft that makes it as smooth as a four-cylinder engine. Our peer said there are minimal vibrations on the gear stick. He said he could not tell any difference if it’s a four-cylinder or a three-cylinder while driving the car.
On the performance side, the engine of Tiago is quite powerful and offers a punchy performance. There were four passengers inside the car, and he never felt the engine struggling while cruising the hatchback.
Stable Car
The car is highly stable and provides a confidence-inspiring ride. He drove the car mostly in the range of 80-100 kmph. Regarding stability, he said the car easily achieves speeds of 100-120 kmph, and you won’t even realize it because of its excellent road holding ability.
In one of our previous articles, we saw its owners claiming it to drive at even higher speeds without losing stability.
People Still Don’t Trust Tata’s Service
Everyone knows that Tata Motors does not have a good reputation when it comes to its service. For the same reason, our teammate had not bought Tata Tiago and eventually went for Maruti Ignis. The guy had doubts in his mind regarding the after-sales service of the company.
However, things are not the same as they used to be in the past. Tata has significantly improved its customer service in the past few years. Still, we cannot deny some service centers that provide poor experience and taint the name of the company.
The guy said, Tata Tiago is a car worth buying. However, he also said one should check the background and reviews of the dealership from where that person is buying the car.
In the end, we would say it seems that, indeed, Tiago is one of the best cars in its segment. The only problem one might face would be regarding its after-sales service. However, with a little bit of research on the showroom and service quality of that dealership, one might avoid facing such issues.
Anyway, tell us what you guys think about it in the comments section below.
NetBSD is one of the oldest BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution)-based Unix-like free and open-source operating systems. For more than two decades, it is still actively developed for several platforms such as servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
From the beginning, NetBSD featured the X11 windowing system with the “classic” default window manager of TWM (Tab Window Manager). But now, the team has switched its default window manager from TWM to CTWM (Claude’s Tab Window Manager) in NetBSD-current.
If you don’t know, NetBSD-current is a nightly distribution of the latest NetBSD development branch, which includes the latest features along with experimental changes and bugs.
The new transformation of the default window manager in the development branch arrived after NetBSD developer Nia Alarie personally tried and tested NetBSD with ctwm for a week.
Well, ctwm was already included in the previous NetBSD releases, but not as a default window manager.
Now, as ctwm (a fork of twm) is available by default, NetBSD supports several features such as an auto-generated application menu, various keyboard shortcuts including volume controls, and better screen resolutions.
As Nia Alarie says, the primary advantage that ctwm brings is lightweight, highly configurable, NetBSD-compatible license, and support for virtual desktops, very slow and fast hardware with one config.
NetBSD can even have support for HiDPI once some larger bitmap fonts are being imported. However, if you’re also wanting to know when NetBSD will switch its X11 windowing system to the modern Wayland system, there’s still a long way to go.
Here, in another blog post, Nia Alarie has explained the reasons and difficulties faced after porting the first working Wayland compositor to NetBSD.
Walmart is in talks with India’s Tata Group over a potential investment in an upcoming super app from the Indian conglomerate.
As per a report by Mint, the super app is expected to bring a variety of Tata’s e-commerce offerings, including grocery, insurance, healthcare, financial services, OTT, etc., under one roof to boost its overall retail vertical.
The American e-commerce giant is expected to funnel a whopping $25 billion to get a significant stake in the super app, which will be a part of a Tata Sons subsidiary. It’s reported that the super app could also be a joint venture, combining the likes of Walmart’s Flipkart and Tata’s e-commerce business.
Walmart acquired Flipkart back in 2018 for $16 billion (66% stake), but if it manages to crack a deal with Tata, it would be the largest deal in the Indian retail space ever. The app could launch sometime around December or January.
Sources told Mint that the super app could be valued at $50-60 billion. Also, Walmart has appointed Goldman Sachs as the investment banker to take care of the proposed deal.
The proposed deal could benefit both Walmart, a new name in India, and Tata Group, which relies on the sale of home-grown goods and services and wants to establish a global presence. The Indian retail market is already heating up with the presence of rivals like Reliance Jio and Amazon.
Mukesh Ambani’s Jio is turning every stone it can, selling off stocks to foreign companies to raise billions of dollars. Earlier this year, the company cracked a $5.7 Billion deal with Facebook by offering 10% in stocks.
In addition to the telecom business, which has already spread its legs across the nation, Ambani is also betting big on Jio’s e-commerce business marketed as JioMart.
In total, Jio raised around $20.2 Billion in over four months by selling its stocks to 13 companies. The list also includes Google, which is investing $4.5 billion for a 7.7% stake.
If you ever had a brush with website designing or any other mock designing work, you probably know what lorem ipsum is. For those who don’t, lorem ipsum is a compilation of random text that can be used as a placeholder copy in your design mockup to gauge what the final visuals would look like.
Now, lorem ipsum tools are pretty handy but using too much of the same text can get boring. This is why there are dozens of unique, creative and funny random text generators that can be used to spice up your mockups a bit. In this article, I have compiled the best lorem ipsum generators that cover a variety of topics. So let’s check out all of them!
What makes this one the best lorem ipsum generator is the clean and easy to use interface. Your options are pretty clear: you can choose to generate a specific number of lorem ipsum paragraphs, sentences, or words. Now this feature itself is pretty handy and you won’t find other websites commonly that let you control how much of text you generate in terms of length. With Fossbytes’ lorem ipsum generator, it’s a single click job and all you need to do is copy and paste the text into your design. And that’s not the end, this tool works on 8 different languages too — English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, French, German, Italian, and Turkish.
While discussing the best lorem ipsum generators, we cannot miss out on the classic Latin passage this tool creates, because it never gets old. It creates filler text of any length just in a single click. Although there is one limitation: it lets you specify only the number of paragraphs you can generate and not the number of sentences or words like the Fossbytes’ lorem ipsum generator mentioned above.
The next best free lorem ipsum generator on the list is a bit different than the rest. Apart from the classic lorem ipsum, Fillerama can generate placeholder text from shows like Doctor Who, Futurama, Dexter, and Arrested Development. All the TV show lovers are going to love this one!
Another unique feature of Fillerama is that it lets you create passages with headers, list, and inline styles so you won’t have to scratch your head much while placing filler texts for your new website.
We all have seen the usual lorem ipsum passage in Latin on countless websites and the websites mentioned above would be sufficient for that. This is why I thought of adding some quirky filler text generator websites too on this list. And Placehodler is pretty unique in that sense.
This free lipsum generator creates cryptocurrency-based texts if you specify the number of words or paragraphs you need. So the next time you want placeholder text for your crypto website, you know where to find it!
Adding on to the list of funny and quirky lorem ipsum websites, we have the Pirate Ipsum which creates pirate-themed placeholder texts for you. Its ability to create some swashbuckling text that walks the plank with brigands and bilge is what makes it one of the best free and unique lorem ipsum generators. Ahoy matey! What are ye waiting for? Get some pirate ipsum fer yer next adventure…and own the high seas, arg!
If you find US President Donald Trump amusing and you can’t get enough of his fake news, and legendary speeches, try this Trump lipsum generator. It has the same Trump campaign colors and a MAGA-themed button to generate some “covfefe” flavored text that you might need for your next political campaign site 😛 . Just mention the number of Trump-inspired paragraphs you need and this site will make placeholder text great again!
Website developers often need random text generators to churn out passages to fill in web pages, especially for software companies or startups. For that, Web 2.0 is the best online Lipsum creator you can opt for. This lorem ipsum tool will create both legit and nonsensical text with startup names and IT-related terms that can be used to fill up the white spaces.
If you are a Breaking Bad fan like me, you definitely want to check out this badass lorem ipsum text generator. The Heisenberg Ipsum can not only create text for the legendary Walter White but also other characters on the show such as Jesse Pinkman, Saul Goodman, Gus Fring, and more!
You can also set the number of paragraphs, words or characters to be generated. Unfortunately, you cannot select the number of sentences it creates and that is something you will have select manually. But hey, it’s pretty cool anyway!
Now that we are discussing all the cool random text generators, Hipsum has to be on this list. This dummy text generator creates hip text for you in a single click. The website has a clean UI and you can choose to get a dose of hipster text with a shot of Latin or Hipster neat which will churn out text without any Latin words. Just select the number of paragraphs you want and hit the ‘beer me’ button for random rap lyrics!
Those who can’t stand a dull project, here’s the best random text generator tool for you. This blue-collar lorem ipsum lets you choose from office meeting ipsum, client feedback ipsum, or just the classic with Office Ipsum, that would hopefully bring a smile to many people’s face when you present the mockup designs.
Be Creative With The Best Lorem Ipsum Random Text Generators!
Lorem ipsum is now the industry standard for design mockups and website prototypes. But gone are the days when you just had to copy the boring old Latin lipsum. With these cool free lorem ipsum generators, you can add a unique and quirky flavor to your mockup without actually having to invest time in writing the text. Some might feel a bit hesitant or unprofessional while using the funny lipsum generators but if you have a client who enjoys humor, these online dummy text creators will surely lighten the mood at any client meeting.
